Turkey Meatballs With Tomatoes And Basil Food

TURKEY MEATBALLS IN TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine cheese, bread crumbs, onion, chives, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano and red pepper flakes, if using, and mix well. Add turkey and egg and blend with your hands until well mixed. If you've got time, cover mixture and chill for an hour or up to 24 hours. These are easiest to form into balls while very cold. Form into 28 meatballs, each about 1 1/4-inches in diameter.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan. When hot, add enough of the meatballs to fit in one layer without crowding, and brown on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate, add another tablespoon of oil to pan and brown another layer of meatballs, transferring them to the plate as they brown. Repeat until all meatballs are browned, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
• When meatballs are all browned, add marinara sauce to pan and bring to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits on the pan bottom. Return meatballs and their juices to pan, shake pan to cover the meatballs with sauce, and lower heat. Partly cover pan and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Serve hot, drizzled with more olive oil and sprinkled with more cheese, if you like.

MINI TURKEY MEATBALLS WITH GNOCCHI AND TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place turkey in a large bowl with grill seasoning and fennel seeds.
• Pile sun-dried tomatoes on top of each other in small stacks then slice into thin strips. Coarsely chop the thin strips and add to bowl.
• Stack the basil leaves together then roll them up into a log. Shred the basil by thinly slicing the log. Add half the basil to the bowl.
• Drizzle some olive oil over the bowl.
• Mix turkey together, roll into 1 1/2-inch meatballs and arrange on a nonstick cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until firm and lightly golden.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil for the gnocchi.
• While the water is coming to a boil, heat a large skillet over medium heat. To the hot skillet, add 2 T olive oil, garlic, onion and red pepper flakes. Cook until tender, about 5-6 minutes.
• Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper.
• Drop gnocchi into pot of boiling water and cook 5 minutes (or to package directions.).
• Stir remaining basil into sauce to wilt it.
• Drain gnocchi and arrange on a platter. Remove meatballs from oven and add to gnocchi, equally distributing them. Sprinkle cheese over the meatballs and gnocchi then top with sauce.
• Serve with bread.
• Note: The tomato sauce is very basic. Feel free to add additional spices.